Smart Fasteners in Mechanical Design: Less Is More
In mechanical design, choosing the right fasteners is often overlooked, yet it has a direct impact on manufacturing, cost, and the final product quality. A smart approach can save time, money, and production headaches.
1. PEM Inserts in Sheet Metal
When working with sheet metal parts, PEM inserts are an efficient and durable solution for internal threads:
- Provide strong fastening without welding.
- Reduce sheet deformation.
- Make maintenance and component replacement easier.
2. Fewer Sizes, Greater Efficiency
Reducing the variety of screw sizes is a strategic decision. Using only a few standard sizes —such as M3, M5, and M8 in metric, or 1/8", 1/4", and 1/2" in imperial— simplifies purchasing, storage, and assembly.
Fewer fastener types mean:
- Lower inventory.
- Less confusion in production.
- Fewer required tools (screwdriver bits, Allen keys, socket heads, etc.).
- Faster assembly.
3. Inventory Control in Odoo
In Odoo, the Inventory module allows you to manage all fasteners with a reduced number of references, resulting in:
- Lower storage costs.
- Better stock control.
- Faster replenishment.
Having a small set of well-defined references makes planning and purchasing simpler and more reliable.
4. Fusion 360 and the McMaster Library
During the design phase, Fusion 360 offers the Fasteners tool to insert realistic, precise fasteners directly into the 3D model. Its integration with McMaster-Carr’s parts library enables importing production-ready models with exact dimensions, speeding up development and ensuring perfect fit in real life.
On top of that, new Fusion 360 features such as BOM generation and AI-assisted mechanical drawings have proven invaluable when working remotely with clients, allowing me to generate technical drawings for supplier quotes quickly and efficiently.
Conclusion
Fasteners are more than a detail — they’re a strategic design decision. Using PEM inserts where appropriate, standardizing sizes, and leveraging tools like Odoo and Fusion 360 not only optimizes the design but also reduces costs and improves production.
Have you analyzed the fasteners in your products? A review could save you significant time and money. Message me on LinkedIn and let’s go through it together.